PAPER B

Minutes of the Crime and Disorder Joint Scrutiny Committee meeting held on Thursday, 11 October 2018 in Council Chamber - Deanes, and Deane Borough Council at 6.30 pm

Members of the Crime and Disorder Joint Scrutiny Committee in attendance: Councillor D Sherlock BC Councillor K Carruthers Basingstoke and Deane BC (Substitute) Councillor P Collings Hart DC Councillor G Crisp Hart DC Councillor J Canty Rushmoor BC Councillor A Crawford Rushmoor BC

Also Present: Councillor S Bound Basingstoke and Deane BC Cabinet Member for Communities and Community Safety and Chair of the Safer North Strategic Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Councillor Muschamp Deputy Leader Rushmoor BC Ryan Thurman Group Commander, North Hampshire and Hampshire and Fire and Rescue Service James Knight Team Leader, Safer North Hampshire Marion Short Community Wellbeing Manager – Basingstoke and Deane BC David Lipscombe Team Leader, Safer North Hampshire CI John Halfacre District Commander, Hart and Rushmoor CI Matt Reeves District Commander, Basingstoke and Deane

1/18 Appointment of Chair

Councillor Canty was elected as Chair for the 2018/19 municipal year.

2/18 Apologies for Absence and Substitutions

Apologies were received from Councillors Bowyer and Smith. Councillor Carruthers attended as substitute for Councillor Bowyer. Councillors Kennett and Taylor were absent with no apologies sent.

3/18 Declarations of Interest

There were no declarations of interest.

4/18 Urgent Matters

There were no urgent matters. 5/18 Minutes of the Meeting held on 20 July 2017

The minutes of the meeting held on 20 July 2017 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

6/18 Performance Review of Safer North Hampshire Strategic Community Safety Partnership 2017-18

Members considered an overview of the performance of the Strategic Safer North Hampshire Community Safety Partnership for 2017/18.

The Chair reminded Members that the role of the committee was to look at the strategic role of the partnership in relation to anti-social behaviour and crime.

The Chair invited the Community Safety Manager to provide an overview of the role of the partnership. She advised that the partnership was made up of statutory partners (Police, Councils, Clinical Commissioning Groups and Probation) and co- opted members such as the Army and Fire Service. She explained the role of the partnership was to undertake an annual Strategic Assessment, develop a Partnership Plan and monitor performance of the plan.

The Chair of the CSP summarised the main priorities and key achievements of the partnership particularly in relation to key performance indicators, engagement with members, the development of a self-assessment tool to identify areas for improvement, better visibility of the CSP through events such as ‘Safer Together’ and forging closer working links with the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

The Chair invited questions from the floor in relation to the performance of the CSP.

The Chair requested information on the gathering of data and the steps that were required to ensure there were no gaps in intelligence so that there was an accurate picture across North Hampshire.

The Community Safety Manager confirmed that Tableau had the capacity to hold a wide range of data, and agencies that provided data used that platform. She added there was also an established core of agencies that provided data however it is the role of the CSP to identify and address any gaps in intelligence.

The Chair of the CSP highlighted data as one of the challenges in relation to working with the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner as it was important to ensure the interpretation of data locally.

Councillor Crawford referred to data indicating that a consistent approach to anti- social behaviour across all three areas was not having an impact in Rushmoor. The Community Safety Manager clarified that the data was old. The District Commander for Hart and Rushmoor confirmed that current data was considerably different to that in the assessment. He added that strategic options across areas were the same, however tactical options were different depending on a particular neighbourhood. The Community Safety Manager further added that the community protection notice process was in the early stages but the process in Rushmoor was the same as in Basingstoke and would deliver results.

The Chair asked whether funding had been sought from the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and what the outcomes were. The Community Safety Manager confirmed that funding had been sought and reiterated the importance of the partnership being influential in discussions, consultations and bids with the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner particularly in relation to the development of Tableau and Safety Net.

With regard to membership of the CSP, Councillor Crawford suggested that the Vine Centre, who do a significant amount of work concerning anti-social behaviour, be approached to become part of the CSP. The Community Safety Manager confirmed that the CSP had worked with the Vine for a number of years but would be happy to approach them.

The committee considered the main priorities of the CSP- anti-social behaviour, alcohol related violent crime, vulnerabilities and substance misuse. The Community Safety Manager clarified that the priorities were not in order. The Chair asked that with the increase in domestic crime and abuse, why it was not a priority of the CSP. The Community Safety Manager responded that the priorities were very broad which encompassed a variety of crime types. She added that the area has a domestic abuse co-ordinator and that the CSP works very closely with the domestic abuse forum for Hampshire and commissioned services delivered on behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioner. It is also involved in a lot of training for professionals involved in this work area.

With regard to the increase in knife crime, the Community Safety Manager confirmed that the CSP did a lot of education work in schools concerning knife crime and a knife amnesty had recently been held in Rushmoor. She added that knife crime is a police led priority and the CSP work in partnership with the police. The District Commander for Basingstoke confirmed that the area had seen a significant increase in knife crime and would support it as a future priority for the CSP.

Comment was made regarding data in the strategic assessment being old and out of date. The Community Safety Manager stated that in future more real time data would be used to produce the strategic assessment and assess the priorities of the CSP and that Tableau was providing more up to date demographic data concerning the changing nature of communities and the issues that the CSP should consider.

Councillor Crisp raised concern regarding vulnerable people with an increase in rough sleepers and a rise in the number of pupils excluded from school. He sought clarification on how the CSP addresses the issues of those vulnerable groups. The Community Safety Manger responded stating that with regard to homeless and street attached people there were a range of issues those vulnerable people have such as mental health, substance misuse, alcoholism and other socio economic issues and it was the role of the CSP to provide a balance between the needs of the individual and the impact they are having on the community. With regards to excluded pupils, they could be referred to the CSP through a number of different streams such as Troubled Families, the Early Help Hub and educational referrals.

They would be a concern to the CSP if they were involved in anti-social behaviour, criminal activity or exploitation.

With regard to anti-social behaviour, the Chair stated that incidents were higher in some months than others and asked what steps the CSP could take working with other agencies to prevent some of the incidents occurring. The Chair of the CSP responded stating that it was a challenge for the CSP to engage with and distract young people particularly during school holidays, however the CSP works with the voluntary sector, youth projects and schools. The District Commander for Basingstoke added that whilst anti-social behaviour can have a big impact on communities, the police have to consider where it sits as a priority when considering other issues such as knife crime, drug related harm and domestic abuse and need to be creative when working with other agencies and the voluntary sector to be able to carry out preventative work. The Community Safety Manager further added that a range of campaigns are run through the summer months such as Summer Streetz and Where is your child? There is engagement with schools prior to Halloween and bonfire night and the CSP carry out as much preventative work, within resources, as possible.

In response to Councillor Crawford’s question regarding the higher rise in anti-social behaviour in Rushmoor compared to Hart and Basingstoke and how the CSP respond to it, the Community Safety Manager stated that it would be tackled through the operational delivery group and Community Safety Officers. She added that acceptable behaviour contracts can be issued in partnership with other agencies, talking to parents through a conference event with the police can be a powerful approach and proactively seeking to identify individuals to address the behaviour through a variety of means is important. She also highlighted the work of the Basingstoke Community Court and stated that they are recruiting volunteers for a Community Court for Hart and Rushmoor.

Councillor Crawford raised concern regarding night-time economy anti-social behaviour in Town Centre. The District Commander for Hart and Rushmoor stated that there was a dedicated police officer working across the Hart and Rushmoor area and with the Licensing authority to influence and keep a check on licensed establishments. He reiterated that the data in the assessment was old data and significant improvements had been made.

The Chair recognised the important work that street pastors do in Basingstoke and asked how the CSP can work with organisations like street pastors to make a bigger impact in tackling night-time disorder in Hart and Rushmoor. The Chair of the CSP stated that it was important to drill down data to identify significant incidents and how a particular establishment is managing its venue and door staff. The Community Safety Manager added that the CSP worked closely with street pastors, providing funding and training and value the work they do.

Councillor Collings raised a concern regarding security staff from nightclubs actively clearing the streets in Fleet after the closure of clubs and was concerned they were acting as police officers. The District Commander for Hart and Rushmoor responded that he had no knowledge of that issue and clarified that security staff will overview people leaving the clubs and have a responsibility for what happens within

the curtilage of the venue. He added that the police have a good relationship with security staff in Hart and do not delegate night-time economy policing to them.

With regard to an increase in anti-social behaviour and lack of mental health support for young people, the Community Safety Manger was asked to explain the work of the CSP to address the issue. The Community Safety Manager stated that some young people who need help would not meet the CAMS threshold. The CSP are aware of the mental health concordat and consider the role of the CSP to influence commissioners of service providers and have representation on the clinical commissioning groups. She added that the CSP would welcome parents who had concerns regarding their children as early intervention is paramount to keep children out of the justice system. The Chair of the CSP added that there is recognition that there is a long waiting period for a CAMS assessment and CAMS are working with a number of partners to look at the support given to people waiting for an assessment and the support given to parents of those waiting for an assessment. Furthermore, schools are also looking at mental health projects. The Community Safety Manager highlighted a number of models to help young people such as building resilience and giving them the tools to cope which can help to combat issues regarding body image and self-harm.

Councillor Crisp highlighted the work carried out by Vision for Youth and whether the CSP would provide support to them as they do for street pastors. The Community Safety Manager confirmed that they work with Vision for Youth and would be happy to provide help. She also highlighted Yately as a good example of a motivated community where additional support from the community helps to combat anti-social behaviour.

The Community Safety Manager explained that only Basingstoke have a team of community safety patrolling officers who are accredited by Hampshire Police. Training has taken place in Rushmoor for Community safety patrolling officers to be accredited. These officers are uniformed and have certain powers to deal with anti- social behaviour.

In response to a question regarding whether the average response time to a 101 call had reduced, the District Commander for Basingstoke stated that on-line reporting was available and would encourage people to make use of it for non-emergency matters which would free up telephone lines. He clarified that the101 number was for non-emergency matters however it is the same call-takers that respond to both 101 and 999 calls and there has been a significant increase in 999 calls which are a priority.

Councillor Crawford referred to housing data which indicated that Vivid Housing Association were not dealing with anti-social behaviour cases as well as other housing associations and asked how the CSP could assist. The Community Safety Manager stated that the CSP work in partnership with housing associations who have their own anti-social behaviour officers and issues would be raised through the operations group. She also highlighted that Vivid had been through a large merger which had taken time to bed in.

The Chair referred to vulnerabilities in relation to sexual offences involved in

domestic abuse and asked how the CSP work with other agencies to tackle the issue. The Community Safety Manager explained that there were a number of partnerships and boards that operate across a range of vulnerabilities such as Prevent, modern slavery and adult and children’s safeguarding boards. The CSP work in partnership with agencies to deal with issues. She added that the CSP attend the Domestic Abuse Forum for Hampshire and Serious Sexual Offences Reduction Group run by the Police. She added that the CSP also worked with a number of agencies to provide support to victims of sexual abuse and provide training and support to organisations.

With regard to drug offences, Councillor Collings referred to a presentation from Op Fortress regarding county line drug supply which indicated that Basingstoke was the main concern of the three boroughs. The District Commander for Basingstoke confirmed that Basingstoke was still the main area of concern and an ongoing priority largely due to the demographic and number of class A drug users who live in the area. The District Commander for Hart and Rushmoor added that the main proactive police focus was Rushmoor. With regard to instilling confidence in members of the public to report drug activity the Chair of the CSP reminded councillors of the key role they have to play in reminding residents that a drug raid for example is a direct connection to a report of drug activity that may have been made some weeks before. On-line reporting is key to ensure that intelligence is being directed to the correct teams to ensure that the correct action can be taken at the right time. The District Commander for Hart and Rushmoor added that it can often take a period of time and several pieces of intelligence to build a full picture before action can be taken. Furthermore, the police media and communications team are making use of media to highlight successful work carried out.

The Chair asked for further details regarding the work of the CSP in relation to modern slavery. The Community Safety Manager responded that the CSP were members of the Modern Slavery Partnership and have worked with the Police and a range of agencies to look at places of concern such as car washes, nail bars, take- out restaurants, and agricultural establishments. She added that it is the role of the CSP to make people aware of modern slavery and identify those people who might be vulnerable.

The Chair invited comments on the recommendations of the strategic assessment.

With reference to Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) comment was made regarding the lack of a PSPO for Fleet and that a town centre location could be limiting and could push the issue to a neighbouring area. The Community Safety Manager confirmed that there were PSPO’s in Basingstoke, Farnborough and Aldershot. She stated that PSPO’s have to be evidence based on a predefined geographical area and proportionate and that a PSPO can only operate where it can be demonstrated that a problem is persistent, consistent and unreasonable in nature. She added that a PSPO can be varied where displacing occurs.

The Chair asked what resource and time was needed to re-establish assault data collection in Basingstoke and Deane. The Community Safety Manager stated that there was a requirement for hospitals to provide a certain amount of data but the CSP need to re-establish a link with Basingstoke hospital to gain data to understand

incidents that are not reported but where there is injury, which helps to build a picture to identify areas where there could be issues such as a licensed establishment.

With regard to the recommendation concerning vulnerabilities, the Chair asked how outcomes would be measured. The Community Safety Manager stated that the vulnerabilities were complex and the CSP would look at gaining a better understanding of issues such as mental health and how the CSP could work in partnership to reduce the risk to individuals whilst trying to get them to the services they need. She added that there are a lot of complex cases and a need to understand them better to understand the best way to work within that environment.

The Community Safety Manager explained the Making Every Adult Matter ‘MEAM’ initiative which is a range of agencies who provide a wraparound service specifically for extremely vulnerable street attached individuals who have complex multiple needs.

The Chair confirmed that the committee was satisfied with the recommendations set out by the strategic assessment. He summarised the discussions relating to the four priority areas of the CSP in relation to anti-social behaviour, night time economy and alcohol related crime and the collaborative approach the CSP has to working towards tackling substance misuse and vulnerability issues.

Further the committee suggested that the CSP should ensure that it expands on the collaborations it has with the voluntary sector either through funding or other areas in order to help tackle specific issues of anti-social behaviour across Hart, Basingstoke and Rushmoor; and that the CSP do more to collaborate with CAMS and other agencies to tackle mental health issues particularly in connection with young adults to reduce crime across the three areas.

Resolved: That the Committee is satisfied with the performance of the Strategic CSP in relation to the discharge of its crime and disorder functions for 2017/18.

The meeting ended at 8.22 pm.

Chairman